Posted by: |
Joyce Peneschi |
On: |
5/31/2004 |
ID: |
181 |
Enrolled on 12/1/58? |
Present on 12/1/58? |
Injured? |
Age |
Grade |
Classroom |
Teacher |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
10 |
4 |
107 |
Mrs. Kizior (substitute) |
Om Monday morning December 1, st started out to be a good day. I was in the 4th grade, of a 3rd & 4th grade split classroom # 107 of the North Wing. There was about 14 of us 4th graders in that classroom. We had a substitute Teacher, Mrs Kizior because our regular Nun was out sick for some time. The Teacher told me that morning that, me and 6 other student's will be getting transfered to the other 4th grade classroom up stair's room 210, next Monday. And the other 4th graders would be transfered to the other 4th grade, in the other section. I was so happy because my two best girlfriends were in that classroom, Connie & Susan, we were playmates out of School. My Grandfather called us the Three Musketeers. The Teacher asked me to take the transfer paper's up stair's to room 210, to Sister Mary Seraphica's class. I walked up that old wooden stairway, (and down not realizing that later that afternoon it would be on fire) I gave the paper's to Sister, she said ok, see you next week, I went back down stair's to my classroom. I wanted to be transfered right then and there, I didnt want to wait untill next week, but Sister Mary Seraphia had to make room for us by adding another row and more desk's to her classroom. I couldnt wait to tell my Friend's that we would be together. I told Connie & Susan about the transfer when we walked home for lunch, they were happy too. After lunch we met again and walked back to School together, making plans as we always did to meet after School and walk home together. That afternoon some crazy thoughts were coming to me, and I began to feel uncomfortable. I had this feeling that I would not be going into Rm 210, something was going to happen to change all that, I said to my self what could possibly happen ? so I just put it off as over excitement on my part. I asked to go to the bathroom, and went to the Girl's bathroom in the basement (of the North Wing) for a short break, I liked that bathroom because it had long pipes, up above by the ceiling, I dont know what kind of pipes they were ? but we Girl's useto like to swing and hang on them (like monkey bars) we were always taking time out to go to that bathroom and play, if we were gone too long, our Teacher's would come looking for us. I thought that maybe a few swings would make these bad feeling's go away. I walked down that old wooden stairway (where the fire started, just a short time before.)There was just something about that wooden section, by the North Wing, and the wooden section of the main Entrance that I loved so much. When I went back to my classroom, it was getting close to the end of the day, so I hurried up with doing my assignments, I finished up early and turned my papers in to the Teacher. I sat at my desk quietly fumbling around cleaning out my desk, then I just sat there watching everyone else finishing up their work, I kept looking at the clock, time was going by so slow, from 2:30 to 2:45 seemed so long. I couldnt wait to get out of School, because I was still feeling uncomfortable, I dont know why ? and I did not like that. I went to the back of the room to sharpen some of my pencils, to kill more time, then funbled with my desk again. When all of a sudden the fire alarm bell rang...........When the fire alarm rang, I looked at the clock, I said to my self that's a strange time to have a fire drill ? The first row of students by the window, were already getting their coat's from the coat room, I was in the last row by the door, (to get coats) but first row to leave the classroom, and in this case for fire drill. But I did not leave my classroom in a single file like I was suposeto, I had to do more fumbling at my desk, as the other's were leaving. The Teacher kept saying to us hurry, hurry , fire drill. We had a standing order in all our classrooms during a fire drill, last person to leave must close the door !! Pokey me was last to leave my classroom, I closed the door, but I turned around and went back to my desk, because I left my new wallet, I had this feeling that if I dont take it now , I'll never get it. I left my classroom and again I closed the door. There was nobody in the hall, or corridor as we called it. I just had this strange feeling that I would never again be in that School, so with that feeling instead of walking to the out door, I took my time walking and looking through the windows of the other classroom's of that first floor. I looked into my Brother's classroom they were gone, everyone was gone. I walked to the back, by the stairway, it was dark, but that section was always dark, I saw black smoke in the stairway, I got scared, my School was on fire !!!!! my legs began to shake, they felt like rubber, I couldnt walk, but I tried to run, and tripped. I was so shook up. But I was the very last person to leave that first floor North Wing. When I pushed the door to go out side I saw many people across the street looking up, the fire dept. was not there yet, but I heard their sirens coming down Avers Ave. I'm slowly walking on the School side of the street, trying to look up at the building, black smoke was coming out from all the windows, the fireman couldnt work fast enough to get all their hoses stretched out, I could hear Kid's screaming, thats when I realized that not all our kids got out of the building. I said to my self "MY GOd WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE ? " I walked over to the alley side, and saw my Friends jumping out of the windows on fire, crashing on to the cement, breaking their bones. The fireman had one net, they were running back and forth trying to catch the jumping children, neighbors had blankets trying to catch children, the ladders were not tall enough to reach the 2nd floor, the screams of the children, screaming for help. More fire truck sirens coming, but the street is full of people, people every where, everything was going so fast, the black smoke was getting blacker, it looked like it was getting dark out side. By the alley Candy Store there was injured children sitting on the concrete, leaning on the wall of the brick candy store building, I did not recognize any of them, some were black from smoke, some were burned , and some were bloody, face hands and arms. They were waiting for ambulances to pick them up. The ambulances would come, load up and go, and another would come. The noise of all the sirens, up set me,( and still botheres me till this day )The sounds of the screaming Children, (at times I still hear it in my sleep) Fireman were carring children, I didnt know if they were dead or alive ? these lifeless Children all black from smoke. This was unreal !!! I was so worried about all the Children trapped on that second floor. I prayed that they would all get out. I couldnt watch any more ,I walked to the other corner of Avers and Iowa St. I was not prepared for what I was about to see, the dead bodies were covered up and lined up, waiting to be picked up by ambulance, there were so many dead Children, I couldnt stop crying. The ambulance people were loading up the dead bodies as fast as they could. I got angry because those people were handling those dead Children, like sacks of potatoes, I just had to go over there and tell them people. please be gentle with my little friends. They said the roof collapsed on the second floor, now the fireman have to dig for the Children. I was in shock, I couldnt beleive that this was really happening. I saw some parents of friends looking for their Children, everyone was going crazy. The TV news people were there, trying to talk to survivors, we stuck out like sore thumbs in our School uniforms. I was not talking to anyone, I did listen to some of the questions they were asking. These news people ask some dumb questions. We didnt know any more then they did about the fire, but some of the kids wanted to be on TV. I walked back to the other side of the School by the alley, and watched everything that was going on. (when I close my eyes and think about it, it's like a video recording that plays over & over, and I hear all the sounds, and it never goes away.) It was starting to get dark out side, they havent found all the Children some are still missing. I just couldnt go home yet, I felt that I cannot leave untill they find all the Children, I wont be able to sleep not knowing that all the Children didnt get out. But it was getting late, and dark out, if I dont get home I'll be in big trouble, I gotta be home before my Mom gets home from work. It was about 5:30 pm when I went home, Mom got home about 6:pm. I wanted to watch the TV news, Mom said NO !! !!! But Mom didnt know that I stayed there all afternoon watching everything, she thought watching the news would cause me emotional trauma ! I couldnt talk about it, to tell her that I need to watch the news, I need to know who did not make it. But I just could not talk about it. I was like a zombie. We lived in a 3 story building on Hamlin Ave, top floor. After my bath to get all the smoke smell off me, I couldnt eat dinner, or go to sleep, or watch TV, I sat at the kitchen table by the window, just looking toward the School, there was a shroud of black smoke lingering over the School all night, I was worried about all the Children who didnt get out yet, by now they must be dead. I hated that word dead & dying I was afraid of dying, death & dying gave me the creeps. Where do we rally go when we die ? Now some of my Friends are dead, I dont think that I can handle that ? They are too young to die. In my Childs mind I prayed to God to please bring them back, I beleived that God could do anything, even bring them back. I could not go to sleep that night, (and many many nights after that)I could not close my eyes everytime I did , I would see the fire over, and over. I couldnt go to bed because that ment time to go to sleep, and close my eyes. So I started falling asleep any where but in my bed.
And when I did fall asleep, I would deam about the fire, my Mom told me that I would talk in my sleep, cry in my sleep, and scream in my sleep. The things that I could not talk about by day, would come out at night in my sleep. My Mom tried asking me questions about the fire, but soon realized that I could not talk about it, to anyone. She would find out information from me when I talked in my sleep. I resented the fact that my Mom would not let me watch the TV news, or read the newspaper in the days following the fire. For one thing I did not know any of the names of the dead Children. The next day and everyday, I walked to see what was left of my School, I was not the only survivor visiting there, one of my friends happen to be there, the first thing I wanted to ask him was how is youre Brother ? and did he make it out ok ? I was afraid to ask ? I couldnt say I'm sorry, because I didnt know. That left me in a awful situation. News stands were always sold out of newspapers, so I couldnt even buy any. My Mom would not allow me to go to any of the Wakes at the funeral parlor's. But when I learned that my best friend Susan Smaldone died on Dec 23, 1958 I begged my Grandmother to take me to Lupo Funeral Parlor, on Chicago Ave. to see Susie. We went against my Mom's orders, Grandma and I walked to Lupo's Funeral Parlor, Susie had a closed Coffin, she was burned very bad 85% of her body. God saved her from a life time of pain & suffering, and a lifetime of people making fun of her. Susie was a beautiful girl. As with so many of our girls who lost their faces from the fire. This was a tradgy that didnt have to happen, it ruined many lives, and it makes me angry because it was arson.
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